Gas valve for hot-water heaters



w. E. STUART. I GAS VALVE FOR HOT WATER HEATERS.

' AEPLICATION FI LED.\ULY14.1919.

Pcmanted Uct. 3, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I IN VEN TOR TTORNEY W. E. STUART.

GAS VALVE FOR HOT WATER HEATERS..

APPLICATION FILED JULYI4, 1919.'

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented @ct. 3, l922.

GAS VALVE FOR HOT-W'A'IER HEATERS.

Application filed July 14, 1919.

Francisco, in the county of San Francisco,

State of California. have invented a new and useful Gas Valve forHot-VVater Heaters, of which the following is a specification in suchfull and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art toconstruct and use the same.

This invention relates to a gas valve for hot water heaters an object ofwhich is to immediately fully open or fully close the valve when eitheroperation is to take place.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that upon a gas burnerhot water tank reaching a given maximum temperature that it is desirableto immediately close the burner valve completely and similarly upon thetank reaching a given minimum it is necessary to immediately fully openthe valve in order to prevent in both in stances the gas from flashingback into the burner the tank ordinarily being maintained at a giventemperature within a range of from ten to twenty degrees.

A further object of the invention is to produce a valve with but asingle spring to open or close it, thereby reducing the necessarymechanism for the operation of the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanismwhich will have no lost motion, but which will store in the spring thenecessary energy for the operation of the valve, whether to close it orto fully open it. I

Another object of the invention is to provide means for locking thevalve open or locking it shut during the movement of the mechanism andup to the moment. of release, so as to prevent the inadvertent operationof the valve during the time the operating mechanism is being set forthe valve movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve operatingmechanism which will be so designed that the normal position or raisingof the mechanism is with the valve closed, thereby preventing dangerfrom over-heating the boiler or preventing danger from explosion shouldanything go wrong with the operating means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve operatingmechanism which fierial No. 310,751.

will be easily adjusted to vary the boiler temperature and of suchsimple construction as to eliminate the danger oi misadiustment whensuch adjustment becomes necessary.

Another object of the invention is to pro-- vide means whereby the valvewill be fullv opened or fully closed with a snap to prevent the flashback into the burner oi? the gas, as is likely to occur ii the valveoperates slowly.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which thesame reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but Iam aware that there may be modifications thereof. '1

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus as it appears applied to aboiler.

F igure 2. is aside view of the apparatus partly in section and with thecover plate removed the operating mechanism being turned 90 degrees fromthe position shown in Figure 1. the valve being shown at the instant ithas moved to the open position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus with the operatingmechanism in process of moving from one position to another and justprior to the closing of the valve.

Figure at is a side elevation of the apps ratus as it appears just aninstant before the valve is to move to the open position.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of two of the operating levers.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the valve stem.

Figure 7 is an edge view of one of the operating levers.

Figure 8 is an end lever.

Figure 9 is an end view of the locking lever shown in Figure 8. U

The numeral 1 indicates the hot water boiler below which is installedthe burner 2 with the pipes 3 and 4 extending from the valve casing 5.At the top of the valve casing there is a pipe 6 which supplies the gasto the burner and from this pipe a similar pipe 7 extends to the pilotburner 8 which is so placed as to maintain a flame over the burner Itwill be understood by those skilled in the art that the burner 2 is ofany suitable type to supply the gas with the proper mixture of air tocompletely burn it but which forms no part of the present invention. Onthe side of the valve casing 5 there is a casing 9 with a cover 10 forenclosview of the locking' ing the valve operating mechanism. The casinghas a nut 11 with a thread nipple 12 thereon fitted to screw into asuitable fitting 13 in the boiler. This nut 12 has a tube 14 of asuitable material to give a considerable movement upon expansion andwithin said tube there is a rod 15 of a ma terial which has a very lowrate of expansion to give the necessary movement to the steel point 16bearing upon one end of the lever 17. The lever 17 has one end hearingupon a fixed knife edge 18 and the other end is movable and bears uponthe adjusting pin 20, which pin has an adjusting screw 21 extended orretracted by the nut 22. The pin 21 bears upon a lever 23 which ispivotally held in a given position at one end by means of the fixeddouble knife edge 24. The lever 23 has an extension 25 and a pin 26which latter provides the pivot point for the lever 27. The arm 25 isprovided with a pin 28 which pin engages an open slot in the end of adouble bell crank looking lever 29, pivotally mounted on a screw 30, andwhich lever has a projecting lug 31 on its underside for locking thevalve 32 in an open or closed position during the period of setting ofthe levers orior to the opening or closing of the valve. The valve stem32 extends into the valve casing 5 and may be removed and examined if sodesired by means of the plug 33. It is also provided with a collar 34and with a notch 35 for its operation. At one end of the casing there isa raised portion 37 in which the screw 30 extends and said raisedport-ion also forms the body for receiving the screw 38 and screw 39,the former of which holds the lever 40 in its proper place and thelatter of which holds a strap 41 in a rigid position, the latter strapalso having a screw 42 to assist in holding it.

The lever 40 is provided with a head 43 which extends into a notch onthe strap or plate 41, and head 44 which extends into the notch 35 onthe valve stem 32, and slot 45 through which the pin 38 extends and thelug 46 which locks the valve open or closed through the aid of the lug31 on the lever 29. It will also be seen that one end of the lever 27extends into the notch 35 and bears against both sides of the same. Thelever 27 has two projecting knife edges on its side as indicated at 46and 47, and said. knife edges bear upon a lever 48, which lever is alsoprovided with a knife edge at 49 bearing upon one side of the lever 23.The lever 48 is also provided with an ear 50 through which a rod 51passes. This rod extends into a boss 52 on the inside of the casing 9and is movable longitudinally with respect thereto. Therod 51 alsoextends through the side of the casing 9 and is provided with a stiffspiral spring 53, the pressure of which spring is adjusted by means ofthe nut 54.

A collar 51 on the rod 51 bears upon the ear 50 and transfers thepressure of the spring 53 to the lever 48 for the operation of the valve32.

In tracing out the operation of the apparatus it will be seen that thethermostatic tube 14, which is made of a metal having a highcoefliciency of expansion, holds the rod 15 having a low coeliicient ofexpansion, in a position depending upon the temperature of the water inthe boiler. As the temperature rises the tube 14 expands and the rod 15moves down, see Fig. 2. As the temperature falls tie tube 14 willcontract in length and the rod 15 will rise. When the rod 15 moves down,on account of the lengtlr ening of the tube 14 upon the heating of thewater in the boiler the lever 17 will move down at its right hand end,as shown in Fig. 2.

The adjustable post 20 will then permitthe lever 23 to move down at theleft hand end of Fig. 2 on 24 as the fulcrum. At the same time thespring 53 and rod 51 will hold the lever 48 with its knife edge 49 incontact with the lever 23 and the lever 48 will also be in contact withthe knife edge 46. At this time the knife edge 47 can separate from thelever 48 until the movement of the arm 25 has shifted the lever 29 sothat the lug 46 can pass the lug 31 at its right. Thereupon the pressureof the spring 53 on the levers 48 and 27 and their pressure upon theyoke 35 will cause the valve stem 32 to move downwardly, the lug 46passing to the right of the lug 31 as it is just about ready to do inFig. 3. This movement will push the-lever 44 downwardly so that its lug46 will be locked below the lug 31, as appears in Fig. 4.

The valve will then be closed. As the boiler cools off the tube 14 willcontract more rapidly than the rod 15 which raise the levers 17 and 23,Figure 2. This will cause the lever 29 to swing to the right (Figure 2)because it is connected with the lever 25 by the pin 28. But as such amovement raises the left hand end of the lever 48 the right hand endwill be depressed and the lever 27 will tend to continue to hold theyoke 35 up and the valve 32 open, there being no tendency to close thevalve till the temperature of the boiler is high enough to lower thelever 17.

From the above it will be seen that as the boiler becomes hot enough thegas valve will close while as it cools the valve will jump fully open,and in either position the lugs 46, 31 lock it against movement.

WVhat I claim is as follows, but various.v modifications may be made inthe construction shown in the drawings and above par ticularly describedform, within the purview of my invention:

1. A thermostatic fuel regulator comprising a fuel supply pipe, a valvetherein, levers to operate the valve, a thermostatic element bearingupon one of the levers, a single spring producing a continuous pressureon the levers for causing the valve to be seated or unseated uponmovements of the levers and a locking lever contacting with one of thelevers for preventing the movement of the valve in either the seated orunseated position until the proper time for action thereof.

2, A thermostatic fuel regulator comprising a fuel supply pipe, a valvetherein, levers to operate the valve, a thermostatic element bearingupon one of the levers, a single spring producing a continuous pres--sure on the levers for causing the valve to be seated or unseated uponmovements of the levers, one of said levers bearing upon another of saidlevers, at two points and means contacting with one of the levers tolock the valve in an opened or closed position during the movement ofthe levers pre paratory to opening or closing the valve.

3. A thermostatic burner regulator comprising a valve casing, a valvetherein, a stem connected with the valve, a lever pivoted to the casingand having means thereon for the operation of the valve, a levercontacting with one of the levers for locking the valve in the opened orclosed position during the preparatory movement of the operating levers,a rod bearing upon one of the levers, a spring carried by the rod forshift ing the valve to either the closed or the open position uponsuitable movement of the levers and a thermostatic element bearing uponone of the levers for operation of the apparatus.

4. A thermostatic fuel regulator comprising a fuel supply pipe, a valvetherein, operating levers connected with the valve, a thermostaticelement bearing upon one of said levers, a locking lever operated by thevalve stem and contacting with one of the levers and a second leveroperated by the first lever for locking the valve through the leverconnected therewith in either the open or the closed position duringpreliminary movements of the operating levers.

A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a fuel supply pipe, acasing connected therewith, a valve therein, levers connected with thevalve and the casing for the operation of the valve, a thermostaticelement bearing upon one of said levers, a spring the pressure of whichis taken up by one of said levers, means whereby energy may be stored insaid spring for the opening or for the closing of the valve and means tolook the valve open or closed during preliminary movements of theoperating levers.

6. A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a fuel supply pipe, acasing connected therewith, a valve in the casing, a series of levers inthe casing for the operation of the valve, a thermostatic elementbearing upon one of said levers, a single operating Spring for openingand for closing the valve, a lever connected with the valve and operatedthereby and a second lever adapted to lock the lever just mentioned withthe valve in the fully opened or fully closed position duringpreliminary movements of the operating levers,

'7. A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a fuel supply pipe,a casing connected therewith, a valve therein, a pair of leverspivotally mounted on the casing, a thermostatic element bearing upon oneof said levers, a third lever pivotally mounted on one of the firstmentioned levers and connected with the valve for the operation thereof,means to lock the valve in an opened or closed position and a singlespring the pressure of which bears upon one of the levers for effectingthe movement of the valve.

8. A. thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a fuel supply pipe,a casing connected therewith, a valve therein, a pair of leverspivotally mounted on the casing, an other pair of levers bearing uponeach other and one of which is pivotally mounted on one of the firstmentioned levers and connected with the valve, means to lock the valvein an opened or closed position during the preliminary movements of thelevers, a single spring for effecting the changes in position of thevalve and a thermostatic ele mentbearing upon one of the levers fortheir operation.

9. A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising an enclosing casing,levers therein, a thermostatic element carried by the easing and bearingon one of the levers to move it, a fuel valve, a lever for positivelymoving said fuel valve in two directions, pivoted on one of the levers,and other levers to loclr the valve open or closed as the case may beuntil the full action of the valve can take place.

10. A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a support, leverscarried thereby, a thermostatic element carried by the support andbearing on one of the levers to move it, a fuel valve, a lever forpositively moving said fuel valve in two directions pivoted on one ofthe foregoing levers, other levers to lock the valve in the open orclosed position and a single spring exerting pressure upon the levers tomove the valve in both directions. D

11. A thermostatic regulator for burners comprising a support, leverscarried there-- by, thermostatic element carried by the support bearingon one of the levers to move it, a fuel valve, a lever for positivelymovlevers having; pressure exerted thereon, first on one side and thenon the other side of its pivot point. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of July,A. D. 1919.

WILLIAM ELMER STUART

